Etienne
by ChanceTheChase
Summary: PG-13 for later chapters. Etienne is a students at Hogwarts starting the same time as Harry. Sort of a different take on things. She befriends Harry. Elements from other things in here too. Just a jumble right now. Please R/R!


            I was born into a prominent family in Quebec.  My mother and father were seen as the societal connection for our part of town and as such like to maintain this high profile.  I was their biggest disappointment.  A thorn in their veritable side.  I would rather spend time at the barn or playing with the chibis in the forest on the edge of our land than go to the posh parties and banquets I was so often forced into.  In public they were supportive of my equine exploits.  It was a sign of wealth to own horses.  At home, however, was a different story.  I still cringe at the sound of a belt swishing rapidly through beltloops.  They say they meant well and they were sorry afterwards and that they wouldn't have to do it if I was a good kid, but I knew better.  I knew it was bullshit.  I was their outlet for their frustration, their inadequacies.  Therefore, beating me made perfect sense.  It was worse when I mentioned the chibis.

            What I wanted more than anything was to train bishoujo and bishonen.  I would sneak away at night, go into the forest, and play with the chibis.  That's how I got my first chibi.  I would even help some out when they were abandoned or ran away from their abusive trainers.  That's how I got my first bishie Duo.  He's great.  A second level evolution now too.  He was really hurt so I took him back to my house to nurse him.  He was in my room for a while recovering.  The help around the house knew he was there.  The maids would check on him when I couldn't be.  They never told them he was there.  One day, though, they found him in my room.  Sleeping.  I happened to walk in right as they found him.  It was like the gates of hell had opened and the hellfire was bleeding out.  They threatened to kill him if I didn't get rid of him.  I just burst out laughing.  They must have thought I was crazy.  I probably was.  Let me explain to you why.

            When I was about 10 my grandmother (mother's mother) came to watch me while they went on another one of their damned vacations.  She was the nicest lady.  I couldn't figure out how my mother had come from her.  Then she let me in on a little secret: she was half bishoujo.  A psychic type.  Her father had raped her mother.  She showed me how she could move things around the room, how she could talk in my head.  It was actually fun to watch.  She told me that she hoped it had passed on to my mother, but alas, it had not.  She was curious, though, if it had passed on to me.  She asked me to see if I could concentrate on picking up a spoon and stirring the milk in the tea.  Lo and behold, I did.  She was overjoyed that this was possible but made me promise not to tell.  Her mother had been frightened when she caught her mother doing that once.  So I suppressed the powers, only using them in my room and with the chibis.  It even worked with the horses to a certain extent.  Back to the story though.

            You know that point that some people reach where controlling their anger is no longer possible?  Well, I reached it then.  Using my telekinesis, I lifted them off the ground and used the thought powers to speak.  ~Yes mom,~ I thought, looking at her horrified face.  ~I inherited that dreadful thing called powers.  Psychic to be exact.  Same as your mother.  And you dad,~ I thought, turning to him, ~if you ever so much as come near me again, I swear on my life I will kill you outright.~  With that I set them down and, my eyes flashing, sent them from the room.  I packed up my things and, gathering up my Duo, I somehow shrunk the suitcase I brought, and set off for my grandmother's home in London.  Where else would I turn?

            Upon arrival, she met me with open arms, saying that my mother had called her after I had run and said that I was never allowed back home.  Ever.  I worried, though.  Worried about the chibis and my horse.  My grandmother had a twinkle in her eye though.  Smiling, she brought me out back where she had set up a stable for my horse and chibis.  They were all there.  She told me she knew it was only a matter of time before my mother found out that I had these powers.  Only a matter of time.  Still, I was content to sit around her house, going to my school and still working with the horse.  Then a letter arrived for me in the mail.  A most peculiar one.  It was parchment and on the back a seal with a badger, lion, raven, and snake on the shield with a large H in the middle.  Flipping the letter back over, I saw it addressed:

            _Etienne Kingsley_

_            Large Bedroom_

_15 Southhampton Street___

_London__, __England___

A letter for me I though.  Who would be writing me?  I didn't know many people here.  A few from local shows I did.  I opened the letter at the seal and read:

_Hogwarts__School__ of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Conf. of Wizards)_

_            Dear Miss Kingsley,_

_            We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at __Hogwarts__School__ of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_            Term begins on September 1.  We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_            Yours Sincerely,_

_            Minerva McGonagall_

_            Deputy Headmistress_

Shocked beyond belief, I showed it to my grandmother.  She just sat there and cried.  She was so happy.  When I asked her why, she said it was because I had been accepted to the greatest school of witchcraft and wizardry around.  When I asked if this was a joke, she sat me down and told me that the powers I had were a sign of a witch.  A witch of great power.  Her whole family had been witches.  Her husband had not known and therefore her mother, despite that one incident, didn't know either.  She had hoped that someone down the line would show the signs and she had.  Her grandmother was only too glad to rejoin the wizarding world after being so long away from it.  Jumping up, she took me to downtown London immediately, a strange grin and twinkle in her eye.

            We parked in front of a small shabby looking tavern.  A sign above the door read The Leaky Cauldron.  The room stopped and stared as they saw her.  Then the murmuring started as she headed to the bar.  The bartender Tom looked overjoyed to see her again, hugging her and carrying on.  She introduced me as her granddaughter.  Just wonderful he said.  We went behind the store to a sort of garbage area.  Third brick to the left she tapped and a large archway opened revealing an alley.  She called it Diagon Alley.  I thought it was wonderful. There were so many things around.  Owls in cages, an ice cream shop.  There was a large man there with a boy.  He looked about my age.  Black hair, green eyes.  He looked just as amazed as I was to be there.  Surprised even.  But then again, so was I.

            First stop was Gringotts Wizarding Bank.  Looking up at the towering white marble building, I was reminded of Marshall Fields in downtown Chicago.  Walking up to the door, I noticed a strange and slightly frightening creature.  My grandmother told me that this was a goblin and that I would be smart not to ever make one mad.  He had enormous feet and a small body, short arms and unimaginably long fingers.  He was definitely a sight to see.  Heading into this wonderful building, we met a hall that looked to be almost a mile long, both sides lined in ornate desks with more of these goblins sitting behind them, using scales to weigh out what looked to be precious jewels and metals, rubies and gold, silver and diamonds.  We headed to the back and, my grandmother pulling out a key from around her neck, handed the goblin at the next set of gates the key.  He surveyed it and, finding it to his liking, called another goblin forth and was told that we would be heading to the vault.  Vault?  What vault?

We headed through the doors to find what looked to be a vast network of mining cars with tunnels branching in every direction, cars flying by faster than horses on the track, breakneck speed every one of them.  Our goblin called one forth and, all of us getting in, we too headed off at breakneck speed to our destination.  After a wild ride we jerked to a stop outside of a small branch of doors.  Stepping up to one, the goblin inserted the key and opened the door.  What greeted me was mounds and mounds of gold, silver, and bronze coins.  Jewels by the sackful waited.  So this is where grandmother's wealth was stored.  My jaw had dropped at the site.  I quickly closed my mouth as my grandmother took handfuls of each and shoved it into a sack she had.  Turning back to the cart, we got in and made our return trip.  Exiting the doors we had come through and entering the hallway, I noticed the boy again.  The strange times I kept seeing him.  He was with that tall man again.  The tall man looked nice.  Large, intimidating, but nice.  We walked out of the hall and through the front doors, ready for a day of shopping.

First stop was Madame Malkins.  I was getting measured for robes when this silver haired boy came in.  Or rather sauntered in.  His stride, the way he curtly nodded to the woman to fit him.  It made me shudder to think of what type of boy he would be at school.  He looked to be about my age.  I hoped he wouldn't look at me.  But he did.  Ugh.  That stare.  Those eyes.  It scared me.  Made me feel cheap somehow, like I was poor.  Sneering, he turned to the mirror, barking out orders to the poor man that had to deal with him.  I was glad when I got done.  I left quickly, passing that black haired boy on my way out.  Bumping into him, I said sorry without looking up.  I went straight to a store my grandmother said was Fluorish and Blotts.

            This was the most wonderous bookstore I had ever been into.  Books on everything.  Sure, I'd seen regular bookstores before, but not like this.  There were books on everything imaginable, including things I'd never heard of.  There was a section on Divination.  I wonder if that's like the psychics my mother used to call at night?  And spell books.  Potions.  Defense Against The Dark Arts.  I wonder what that was?  I supposed against bad wizards and witches, but I really didn't know this world yet.  Then we headed to Ollivander's Wand Shop.  My grandmother was excited to see Mr. Ollivander again.  It had been he who had sold her her wand.  We stepped into the shop.

            The walls were lined with small yet long boxes stacked to unimaginable heights.  It looked as though there was no order to anything.  The counter was littered in paper and fliers from different places.  Mr. Ollivander soon came out.  He was dressed in a shabby old robe, a darker shade of blue with a matching hat perched jauntily atop his head.  He seemed nice enough.  He welcomed my grandmother with open arms, telling both her and me of how he remembered when my grandmother had come in as a scared little girl, wide eyed and wondering.  I wondered if I looked like that now.  I must have because Mr. Ollivander gave a reassuring smile and started handing me wands to try out.  Pheonix feather with willow.  Nope.  Unicorn hair with maple.  Nope.  Dragon heartstring with ash.  Nope.  On and on this went until I thought we'd never reach the wand he seemed to be looking for.  Suddenly running to the back of the room, I wondered if he was running away.  Perhaps it had been a mistake, this letter from Hogwarts.  What if I never found this wand?  Sighing, I saw him hurry back up to me and hand me an especially old box.  I was thinking it was used, but I figured if this is what he wanted me to try, so be it.

            From the moment I touched it I knew there was something special about that wand.  I felt a sudden warmth spread from my hand which held it to the fingertips, up my arm and through my body.  I gave it a good swish an lo and behold a jet of red sparks shot out of the end, bouncing off the walls of the shop in a spectacular display much like the fireworks I had seen on the Fourth of July.  Smiling, I turned around, assuming I had found the one he was looking for.  He smiled, and, paying for the wand with gold, I began to head out the door.  I heard him talking in hushed tones to my grandmother, her face changing from worry to absolute delight.  She looked like she was walking on air.  Turning to me, we headed out to buy the rest of my supplies.

            Once the day of shopping was almost done I looked at the bottom of my school supply list.  _May bring one owl OR one cat OR one toad.  Funny, I thought.  School had never allowed pets before.  Turning to my grandmother, she immediately took me to Eeylops Owl Emporium.  We went in and looked around.  All sorts of owls were there.  Barn, screech, snowy.  All sorts of varieties.  I was scanning the shelves when I noticed that man again.  He was taller than the shelves and looked as though he was ducking to walk around in the cramped building.  Smiling, or so I gathered, he picked a magnificent looking snowy owl.  Taking her cage to her counter, he handed the woman the payment and went back outside, meeting the raven haired boy again.  Soon I would know this boy's name.  Soon.  I walked over to the snowy owls again.  There was an empty spot where that owl used to be.  Next to it was what looked to be an identical one.  It hooted sorrowfully, as if wishing for it's partner to come back.  I took this one, hoping that at least it would be reunited with it's mate.  Turning back to my grandmother, she said I had chosen a good one and paid.  After checking if we had gotten everything, my grandmother and I headed back out into what she called "muggle London."  Strange word, I thought, but didn't put too much into it.  Once back home, I sat down with my grandmother in her home and suddenly thought about what would happen to my mare.  Deciding to take a break from showing since the move, I had bred her when I had come over to Sadler's Wells and she was now in foal.  I wanted to be there when she did end up foaling but did not know what would happen.  I told this to my grandmother, worried about her welfare.  She told me that she had known this would happen and that everything had been arranged with Albus.  Albus?  Who was this man?  It said that he was the headmaster, but how did my grandmother know him enough to call him by his first name?  Either way, I was overjoyed that Wind Dancer would be joining me there.  I tended to be an introvert and spent much of my time with the animals or the horses.  I expected this to be no different.  I was incredibly shy, something which I tried to change but could never seem to get the hang of.  But how would the mare get there I asked?  Was there a way to get her on this train with a brick wall for a barrier?  Surely there would be no way to walk her through the train station unnoticed.  She reassured me that Albus had arranged the transportation and that a man named Hagrid would be caring for her during the day._

            Hagrid, evidently, was the groundskeeper at Hogwarts and had a special fondness for animals.  I felt reassured when my grandmother told me that he could handle her.  Besides me Dance pretty much didn't trust anybody.  She was kinda like me in that way.  Asking if I could send a letter to Hagrid, my grandmother figured why not?  And I wanted to send a letter to this Albus too.  I'm sure he had a hand in getting my mare there.  I went upstairs and took out 2 pieces of parchment, my sealing wax, my stamp, my inkwell, and my new quill and, setting up my desk properly, I began to write.

            _Dear Mr. Hagrid,_

_            Hi.  My name is Etienne Kingsley.  My grandmother Ariana just informed me that she has arranged for me to have my horse at the school and that you were the one that would be watching her during the day.  I thank you many times for this.  She is very special to me and we have been through a lot together.  I just have a few questions before I take her and meet you at this "portkey."  Should I buy enough feed until Christmas Break or is there a way for me to get it to the school without the "muggles" noticing?  And her tack, equipment, everything else will be with her in the horse van.  I'll bring along my foaling kit so when the baby's ready to be born we'll be ready.  You'll have a little guy to take care of after a while!  Anyway, just send me a letter or a quick note back with Cerridwen, my owl, and I'll be sure to arrange it at your convenience.  Again, I thank you for this opportunity.  You don't know what this means to me._

_            Sincerely,_

_            Etienne Kingsley_

Looking at the letter, I made sure that everything was covered.  I thought so.  I lit the candle on the desk and, leaning the flame so it warmed the wax, dripped some of the sealing wax on the now folded parchment and, pressing my seal into it, set it aside.  I then wrote my letter to Dumbledore.

_Dear Headmaster Dumbledore,_

_Hi.  My name is Etienne Kingsley.  My grandmother Ariana just informed me that she has arranged for me to have my horse at the school and that she had specifically talked to you.  I want to thank you for allowing this and having Mr. Hagrid take care of her.  She is exceedingly special to me and I wanted to be sure to be there when her baby arrived.  I don't know if my grandmother told you, but around February we'll have a little one running around with mother.  I don't know if there's any way to repay you, but I was hoping that should I bring a team of Shire horses with they may compensate you in some way.  They are very useful and as both are in foal as well will provide a great springtime for your gamekeeper and anyone else who may be around.  If it is too much trouble for you to have this many horses, please let me know.  I want Windy with me most of all.  Thank you so much for this.  I sent a letter to Mr. Hagrid to try to arrange how the feed would get there and how she usually was.  She's very sweet.  I will hopefully see you September the First.  Thank you again.  If you would like to owl me back, Cerridwen, my owl, is taking a note back to me from Mr. Hagrid.  She seems to like the importance of mail carrying._

_Sincerely,_

_Etienne Kingsley_

Satisfied, I sealed this piece of parchment as well and sent Cerridwen out to deliver them, kissing her on the beak and wishing her a safe journey.  Turning back to my desk I blew out the candle and went back downstairs, telling my grandmother that the letters were sent.  Yawning, suddenly realizing how tired I had been from walking all day, I went back upstairs, practically crawling the rest of the way and, not caring that I was still in my clothes, went to sleep on my bed, leaving the window open so Cerridwen could come back with the letters should she want to.


End file.
